Check Our Website As Time Grows Near
OK, you bought a great tree at The Spring Show, or dug up a potential show tree at Bob Grealish's Big Dig. Now you're considering a lot of styling options. Bring it to the June meeting for advice, tips, gentle criticism and work on it there, with support from fellow obsessives!
“I Bought a Tree... Now What?”
June 2013Newsletter
THIS MONTH
Pittsburgh Bonsai Society...to disseminate knowledge, encourage others and create interest in the art of bonsai
NEXT MONTH
June 19, 2013 Wednesday 7:00pm Phipps Garden Center Shadyside
Please check our evolving website: http://pittsburghbonsai.orgAlso visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PittsburghBonsai
June 2013Newsletter
TBA To BeAnnouncedTBA?
July 17, 2013 Wednesday 7:00pm Phipps Garden Center ShadysideJuly 17, 2013 Wednesday 7:00pm Phipps Garden Center Shadyside
To BeAnnouncedCheck Our Website As Time Grows Near
Editor: Cindie Bonomi
Copy Editor:Jay Miller
Graphic Design:Cindie Bonomi
Contributors:Cliff and Anna DomaskyDave MetzgarJay MillerDavid WolfLouise Means
Photography:Cindie BonomiLouise Means
Publishing & Circulation:Jay Miller
Published periodically (10 issues a year) by PBS for members and other bonsai enthusiasts. It's our sixth decade of advancing the art of bonsai in the Tri-State area.
Deadlines:Generally two months prior to issue date.
Submissions:Please submit Photos or Artwork in JPG format and Copy in Microsoft Word.
A Note From Dave:
The Pittsburgh Bonsai Society
Newsletter
Dave Metzgar
Page 2
~photo by Cindie Bonomi
For your Bonsai supplies support the store that exists for the society
724-348-4771Pots, wire, tools, soil, plants
Long-time members of the bonsai society have seen many beginners come and go over the years. Usually after the spring show visitors get excited about what they see and become members. As with any organization, there is a natural drop off after the first few meetings. But I bet that we lose more than a few new members because their first few trees look nothing like the fine specimens in the show, or even because their trees have died.
It takes some experience to know what keeps a tree healthy and happy. I can still remember my very first tree and many others after that for whatever reason didn't make it. Was it too early re-potting, not enough water, too much water, overdose of pesticide (sorry, my little Fukien Tea), accidently kicking it out of the pot in mid-summer as it rested in the shade (my nice little twisted larch)? Or was it bad winter storage (another larch, elm, maple, etc.), or perhaps putting it in too small of a pot (white pine) or even too much sun (my cool hemlock!)? If I had a grave yard for all of my dead little friends it would stretch far and wide. The late Keith Scott had a saying, either his or borrowed, that went something like, “You don't really know bonsai until you kill your first one hundred trees.” So if you've only killed a few so far, there are many more out there to kill. So keep bringing them home and kill a few more, and a few more will live, and you will learn something about bonsai with each brittle little body that you throw on your burn pile.
So Your Tree Died… Don't Give Up
Thirty one bonsai enthusiasts gathered on May 15th at The Phipps Garden Center in Shadyside with
their trees and many pre-show questions. Bob Grealish was a stand-in for Bob Dietz and did a terrific job analyzing the individual plants, identifying critter and fungal attacks, while prescribing courses of treatment and future development. This doctor wears more than one hat!
One area of the questioning concerned “Can I still Repot?” and “What style of Pot”, which Bob answered easily with his years of experience. He answered specifically, for each tree presented. Remember that care guides are found in various websites around the Internet; Keith Scott's guides are available to members in old issues of the PBS
Newsletter on our website. Hope your tree will be i n o u r 2 0 1 3 Spring Show!
Plants, Pots and Preparation!Plants, Pots and Preparation!Plants, Pots and Preparation!~by Jay Miller
Page 3
Thirty one bonsai enthusiasts gathered on May 15th at The Phipps Garden Center in Shadyside with
their trees and many pre-show questions. Bob Grealish was a stand-in for Bob Dietz and did a terrific job analyzing the individual plants, identifying critter and fungal attacks, while prescribing courses of treatment and future development. This doctor wears more than one hat!
One area of the questioning concerned “Can I still Repot?” and “What style of Pot”, which Bob answered easily with his years of experience. He answered specifically, for each tree presented. Remember that care guides are found in various websites around the Internet; Keith Scott's guides are available to members in old issues of the PBS
Newsletter on our website. Hope your tree will be i n o u r 2 0 1 3 Spring Show!
~ph
otog
raph
y by
Cin
die
Bono
mi
Haiku Corner
Misty grasses,
quiet waters,
it's evening.
~Buson
At the (MABS) MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies' 30th Spring Festival/Grantville PA at least 10 Bonsai Societies were represented plus 3 professionals: Minoru Akiyama, Ryan Neil, Peter Warren. The Holiday Inn, Harrisburg/Hershey is about 15 miles east of Harrisburg, PA. That's about a 4 hour drive from Pittsburgh.
MABS Road Trip!~by Louise MeansThere were several plants that caught my eye, but I was impressed most by a Cork Bark Black Pine, a Blue Atlas Cedar. The Cedar was a beautiful color in person. 27yrs, and a Natal Plum, 20yrs. The trunk was more scaley looking than my Natals. Made it look more interesting!
Cork bark Pine for sale at one of the vendors
American Larch Forrest
Cork Bark Black Pine Blue Atlas Cedar
Natal PlumMeehan Nursery was across the back
~photography by Louise Means Page 4
Horticulture for the Bonsai Artist~by David Wolf
Hello, bonsai folks. My name is David Wolf. I am a member of the PBS and also a student of Sustain-able Horticulture and Landscape Design at Phipps. I have taken many horticulture and botany courses at the garden center and hope to be able to impart to you a little of the information that I have
learned over the past several years by writing some articles that relate horticulture to bonsai. As I think about the goal I have just stated it seems amusing to me... of
course horticulture and bonsai are related. As a matter of fact, all of your gardening, raising house plants, landscaping, plant propagation or arboriculture experience will help you in bonsai. They are all relevant to bonsai. Though bonsai has its own goals, techniques, principles and artistic tenets, it is still about plants and how they grow. With this in mind let's 'take-on' our first topic.
Root to Shoot RatioWe all know that roots are important to our bonsai. Without roots the bonsai would die. The roots take in water and nutrients from the soil that the plants needs to survive and flourish. This water and nutrients are d is t r ibuted among the shoots (the branches and leaves); without shoots the plant would die. The shoots produce sugars that are sent to the roots so that they can g r o w a n d i n c r e a s e i n number, thus providing
more water and nutrients to the shoots.
Too many shoots can stress the root system and endanger the plant, too many roots can also stress the plant and cause harm to your bonsai. It is the balance of roots and shoots that provide for a healthy tree.
Defoliating a TreeDefoliation describes the process of removing all or most of the leaves from a bonsai. Having just read the information above... your collective ears should all perk.
This could be a recipe for disaster. However, some bonsai artists will purposefully defoliate a tree and thus stress the roots. By doing so, they force the tree into a sort of panic mode. In order to stay alive the tree must produce leaves; therefore it responds by producing as many leaves as possible. In doing so the leaves that are produces are smaller because of the restricted resources that the plant has available. This is exactly what the
Photo By Cindie Bonomi
~photos and information courtesy of the book 101 Bonsai Tips by Harry Tomlinson
Page 5
bonsai artist wants... lots of small leaves. In order for this procedure to work successfully the roots must be in excellent condition and have lots of nutrients stored to pass along to the new leaves. This procedure does, in fact, stress
the plant; but a healthy plant will be able to endure that strain if it is vigorous enough and has enough of the growing season left to recuperate.
Highlight Defoliation and the Trees of PittsburghMany trees in the Pittsburgh area are being ravaged by defoliation, the black locust (Robina pseudoacacia) the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastinum). These trees are staples in the surrounding area and each has its own issues.
The black locust tree is often defoliated by the little orange and black insect, the locust leaf miner. This pest eats a significant portion of leaves on the locust tree to the point that it is nearly defoliated. In a similar way, the leaf wilt fungus ravages the horse chestnut population each year, browning and killing the foliage. The effects of this defoliation stress the roots. Though each of these trees may eke out and existence... their ability to provide for a strong healthy root system is limited. Though the black locust can prolifically propagate itself and the city still replaces dead horse chestnut trees with new horse chestnut sapling, the future of these species in this area are in question. (See also diplodia blight and Pinus niga)
Page 6
~photos and information courtesy of the book 101 Bonsai Tips by Harry Tomlinson
Wear Your Pride!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Page 7
Graphic Design GeeksGraphic Design GeeksGraphic Design Geeks
You Have Just Found The Cure For Bad AdvertisingLogo Design
Magazine Ads
Full Color Brochures
Illustrations
Product Illustration
Displays For Trade Shows
Cindie Bonomi 335 Newburn Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15216 Phone: (412) 561-2057
Website: http://www.graphicdesigngeeks.com
E-Mail: [email protected]
Now you can proudly show your enthusiasm for Bonsai and the
Pittsburgh Bonsai Society with golf shirts from
members Anna and Cliff Domasky. Available in
white, tan and taupe. $25 each, including three
color embroidery.
You can also supply your own quality shirt; have
it embroidered for a modest $10 charge.
For more details contact Cliff or Anna at:
Have You Moved? Have You Moved? If you have re-cently moved or are planning to move, please let PBS know! Con-tact our trea-surer, Mark Ber-bach, with your new address, E-Mail address and phone number. E-Mail: [email protected] or call 724 492-1318.
Bonsai Workgroup:The work group meets every other Thursday at Bob Grealish's farm 6-10pm. The next several dates are June 13 & 27. If you are interested in sharpening your skills, call Bob at 412 977-0077.
Coming Events:6-9 June 2013 Rochester, NY: International Bonsai Colloquium, Holiday Inn-Airport, featuring Kora Dalager, David DeGroot, Dennis Makishima, Ryan Neil, Kathy Shaner, Peter Warren and William N. Valavanis, celebrating his 50th anniversary in the art of bonsai!http://www.internationalbonsai.com
8-9 June 2013 Newark, OH: The Dawes Arboretum, 33rd Ohio Regional Bonsai Show; 11am-5pm. Free demonstrations as well as a Fee Workshop ($35) held 1-4pm Saturday. Registration required. Call 740-323-2355. Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd SE, Newark OH 43056 [email protected] Web: www.dawesarb.org
20-21 July 2013 Columbus, OH: The Columbus Bonsai Society's 40th Annual Bonsai Show. 10:00am-4:00pm at the Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 East Broad St., Columbus, OH 43203. 614 645-8733 ( fpconservatory.org ). Go to: www.columbusbonsai.org for more information.
Fri., Sat. & Sun., Aug. 16-18 - Midwest Bonsai Society presents the Mid-America Bonsai ShowThe 36th Mid-America Bonsai Exhibit will be held at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Go to: www.midwestbonsai.org/show.htm for more information.
Sat. & Sun., Sept. 12-15 - ABS Learning Seminar. The 2013 American Bonsai Society Learning Seminar in Saratoga Springs, NY. For more information go to their website: http://www.loveofbonsai.com/
Newsletter Information:It's easy to make an announcement or contribute to the PBS Newsletter. If it is text only, call or email: Jay Miller at: 412 481-4540 [email protected] If it is a sketch or photo, email Cindie Bonomi at: [email protected]
Spotlight Trees:Remember to bring your spotlight trees to the next regular meeting for “show & tell”. It's a great way for new members to learn about new (to them ) species; their TLC requirements and your story.
June 2013 Issue Deadline:Submissions for the June 2013 Newsletter are due no later than May 20, 2013.
Compiled by Jay Miller [email protected]
Pittsburgh Bonsai Societyc/o Cindie Bonomi (Editor)335 Newburn DrivePittsburgh, PA 15216
Jun 19 Wed 7pm “I Bought a Tree Now What?”Jul 17 Wed 7pm TBA Aug 3 Sat 10am AuctionAug 10 Sat 11am Picnic at the Grealish FarmSep 18 Wed 7pm TBA Oct 16 Wed 7pm TBA Nov 13 Wed 7pm TBA plus Elections Dec 6 Wed 6:30pm Annual Holiday Party
All events, unless otherwise noted, will be held at the Phipps Garden Center, starting at 7:00pm. Phipps Garden Center is located at the edge of Mellon Park in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh. At the Phipps Garden Center sign on Shady Avenue, just south of the intersection of Fifth and Shady Avenues, turn into the cobblestone driveway. Park in the metered lot. Walk 50 yards farther down the cobblestone lane. The Garden Center is the red brick building on your left.
Pittsburgh Bonsai Society 2013 Calendar of EventsJun 19 Wed 7pm “I Bought a Tree Now What?”Jul 17 Wed 7pm TBA Aug 3 Sat 10am AuctionAug 10 Sat 11am Picnic at the Grealish FarmSep 18 Wed 7pm TBA Oct 16 Wed 7pm TBA Nov 13 Wed 7pm TBA plus Elections Dec 6 Wed 6:30pm Annual Holiday Party
All events, unless otherwise noted, will be held at the Phipps Garden Center, starting at 7:00pm. Phipps Garden Center is located at the edge of Mellon Park in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh. At the Phipps Garden Center sign on Shady Avenue, just south of the intersection of Fifth and Shady Avenues, turn into the cobblestone driveway. Park in the metered lot. Walk 50 yards farther down the cobblestone lane. The Garden Center is the red brick building on your left.
Pittsburgh Bonsai Society 2013 Calendar of Events
Recommended
